Help
by phoenixtearsandfeathers
Summary: Instead of Harry following Draco to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, it's Hermione. Oneshot. Inspired by Coldplay's 'Fix You'.


**A oneshot in which Hermione is the one who follows Draco to the bathrooms in the duel scene, not Harry.**

"Fix You" – Coldplay

They were all sitting in the Great Hall, goblets and potion's books in front of them. Harry was going on about something Hermione couldn't focus on as she watched the golden catastrophe that was Ron's necklace cause a reflection on the wall opposite. She turned her head and caught the site of Katie Bell. Oh, right. They'd been discussing her. She gestured to the dark haired girl and said, "Katie Bell."

Harry stood and walked over to Katie while Hermione and Ron looked on. They weren't far, and there weren't a lot of students in the hall, so they could hear Harry ask how she was. After a moment, Harry's crestfallen face told them all they needed to know. She couldn't remember who cursed her.

Hermione saw Katie's attention caught on something else, only to discover it was not a something but a someone. Draco Malfoy stood there, eyes wide as he took in the scene of Harry speaking to Katie. He seemed to catch his breath before taking a step back and speeding out of the Great Hall, loosening his tie.

She watched as Katie turned her attention elsewhere and then as Harry took off in the same direction. The curly haired girl leapt across the table, grabbing Harry by the cloak. "Harry, stop!"

"Hermione, what? He's obviously up to something! I've been trying to tell you-"

"Stop. You're not following him when you're acting like that. One of you will end up hurt."

"I'm not going to just let him go!"

"Fine! Then let me."

Harry looked ready to argue but he looked to the empty doorway before grabbing his map from his bag and quietly looking it over. "He's in the bathroom…"

Hermione tapped the map with a "Mischief Managed" before grabbing her own bag. "I'll go. Don't you follow me, Harry Potter. I'll tell you what happens afterward." She hurried off after Malfoy.

She wished she'd taken the map from Harry in case Malfoy had decided to move. Then he'd follow him and she'd be lost. However, it wasn't necessary as when she entered the bathroom that Malfoy had been on the map –which happened to be Moaning Myrtle's bathroom –she saw him standing, head down, in front of the sinks.

His hands gripped either edge, knuckles white as bone, and for a moment, she considered how pale he seemed to be looking lately. Besides Myrtle's voiced attempts at comfort, the only thing she could hear was quiet sniffles. Was he crying?

"Did someone hurt you?"

That was apparently the wrong question to ask because Malfoy whirled in the ghost's direction and yelled at her, "I said to leave me alone!"

Myrtle scoffed, spinning in place before swooping off. Unfortunately, the movement caused Malfoy to watch her go and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Hermione.

She turned to go, but his voice caught her. "Granger," he choked out, voice still angry. "What are you doing here?"

She sighed and turned back. "You ran off…" She muttered, suddenly not as brave as she had felt earlier. Why did she need to follow Malfoy?

"What do you care?"

He was right. What did she care? She looked up, their eyes locking as silver met almond. For the first time since Harry had mentioned Malfoy at the start of the year, Hermione looked at him. She didn't just look him over, either. She really looked at him. She'd already noted the paleness of his skin, but the dark rings around his eyes that showed he hadn't been sleeping made it stand out even more. His cheekbones had thinned slightly, from lack of eating or stress, Hermione couldn't tell. Her brows furrowed as she examined him, and his uncomfortable shift made her snap out of it.

"You shouldn't be against someone caring," she said, not confirming if she did, indeed, care.

"Just go away, Granger," he said, tiredly turning around and leaning against the sinks again. He didn't even bother to hide when his shoulders began to shake and he released shaky breaths.

Hermione set her bag on the ground quietly, taking a step towards the blond. "Malfoy…"

He looked up, surprised, as if he'd forgotten she was still there. Maybe he had just expected her to leave. "I said to go."

"I heard you," she said defiantly.

He whipped around, wand at the ready this time. "I said leave, Granger."

Hermione's heart pounded. Harry knew where she was. Besides, Malfoy was all talk. She took a quiet breath but refrained from pulling her own wand out. "I don't want to fight you…" She paused and added, "Or… accuse you of anything." He looked at her suspiciously. "I just want to talk."

"I don't want to talk to you," he said, but he lowered his wand.

Hermione ignored him and held back a smile as he put his wand away. "Okay. Then don't talk… just listen."

He looked warily at her, turning away to wipe his face before watching her from the mirror.

"I don't know what's going on with you…" she said slowly, wishing she'd been a little more prepared for this so as to write some sample monologues. "I just… I know that you're having a hard time. I don't know why or what it's about…" She held up a hand when he opened his mouth. "I'm not asking." He closed it. "You don't have to go through this alone. You have friends in your house, and I'm sure they could empathize more than any muggleborn Gryffindor."

Malfoy looked at the sink, and while she continued to speak, he stayed completely still so she knew he was listening. "Malfoy," she sighed. "You're going to get through this." He was silent for a long moment, so she picked up her bag to leave.

"Granger."

She turned to face him, and he was now turned away from the sink, hands in his pockets as he looked at her, silver eyes no longer clouded with tears. "Yes?"

He seemed to search for words for a moment. "I… I don't know what I'm doing." It was like he was admitting defeat. "I just… I need help." He whispered the last part, shaky breaths returning.

She took a few steps closer. "You know, Dumbledore says that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."

Draco winced.

She bit her lip. "I know this sounds really stupid," she said, taking another step closer but resisting the temptation of reaching her hand to brush away the crazed locks he'd been running his hands through. "I always go to the library when I need help. You can find most anything, and when you can't, there's the restricted section."

He looked at her carefully, an eyebrow raising as his breathing slowed to normal pace. "Figures, the bookworm Granger is always in the library."

She blushed lightly and avoided eye contact before looking at him again, a certain light in his eyes that had been missing before now shined there.

His eyes ran across her face and his hand slowly rose, a finger reaching out to wrap around one of Hermione's curls. She realized this must be his way of avoiding eye contact as well when he said, "The restricted section, huh?"

She ignored the question and looked him over and once again noticed his disheveled appearance, taking in the knowledge that his vest was laying crumpled on the ground. "Are you okay?"

He looked at her now. "No." He paused. "I'm not."

She didn't really have a response to that, but she was saved from thinking one up when he dropped the curl from his finger and leaned toward her so that their faces were an inch away from each other. "Thank you."

Her eyes widened at the proximity. "You're welcome."

He looked her face over, mind obviously in deep thought before he turned swiftly and grabbed his vest from the floor, walking past Hermione with no further farewell.

* * *

Long, slim fingers ghosted over titles of books not yet skimmed while grey eyes shifted between the spines of the books and the door of the restricted section. There was a pause in the search as fingers and eyes together found a book entitled "Magically Linked Items and Their Abilities".

This was it.

This would connect the cabinets.


End file.
